[Open] Beachside Bar Banter!

[TyDie]

Along the coast of Aroma country were several beaches, and especially around the resort areas, these beaches were prime locations for various forms of entertainment and commerce. There were restaurants and shops galore, but the one establishment you could always count on finding near a beach, a setting known for relaxation and entertainment, was a bar. And it was one such bar, a little stand set up in what was basically the middle of a beach, that Aiya Ibakuro approached today. Whether it was her abnormal height, her strange clan features, or her spider web themed bikini that left little to the imagination, there were more than a couple of sets of eyes on the towering woman as she approached the small bar stand. She had to crouch ever so slightly to fit underneath the canopy overlooking the stand, and as she approached the counter, the bartender looked up at her with a look of mild concern... The woman's presence was intimidating to be sure.

"Uh... what can I get you?" The man said, clearing his throat a bit to ease his nervousness.

"Something fruity. Tropical. With pineapple if you've got it." The girl said with a smirk and a chuckle. The man simply gave a nod and moved away to work on that drink for Aiya, while Aiya sat at a small stool in front of the bar waiting for her drink. All along the beach, within view, were people from all over enjoying themselves and relaxing amidst the warm rays of Aroma Country's sun. The waves lapped calmly at the sands, washing ashore only to pull back and do it all over again, a gentle churning of water that was both relaxing and stimulating depending on whether you were observing it or swimming within it. While the sun wasn't shining through the roof overlooking the small stand, the festival lights dangling from the support beams illuminated the stand and the few tables that dotted the stand's foundation. It was truly a relaxing atmosphere, and for the first time in a while, Aiya felt at ease outside of the walls of her village.

Which meant it was time to scope out the crowd and see what kind of quarries she could find to sate her... appetites.

As the bartender came back to her, A cup full of a yellowish liquid in hand with salt lining the rim of the cup, she smiled and paid for her drink with a generous tip to boot. "Thanks, but keep em coming. I'm hoping for a peaceful day and a rowdy night." The woman smirked and chuckled as her thoughts raced with potential, and the bartender raised an eyebrow but was summarily interrupted by another patron before he could inquire further. For a moment, the spider's eyes even fell on him... He was older sure, but seemed spry still. Maybe early thirties, late thirties at the oldest. Not quite muscular but not portly, fairly average, with sandswept blonde hair kept short and tidy. But those bright green eyes definitely caught her eye, and his awkwardness around her, oh!

At an earlier age, that social awkwardness around her was rather disheartening for the young woman. But she had to say, being older and stronger and much taller now, the way people clammed up around her? It was pretty cute actually. That momentary intimidation before they realize that she's not going to eat them, at least not literally, definitely did something for her in terms of attraction. But alas, the man was too busy for her to flirt with, so no free drinks for Aiya today. With a small sigh as the thoughts came and went, the young spider turned around in her stool to see who else was in the area, sipping at her drink while she took stock of the other patrons...

[Kabu]

"See Hisako, that wasn't so bad now was it?" It had been a long exhausting day for Eiko and Hisako, the former having dragged the latter into beach day activities alongside their other friends. This was a vacation and Eiko was fully determined to get her friend and bodyguard to loosen up and enjoy herself. Hisako had of course resisted her efforts at first but after a bit of prodding had relented, coming to enjoy herself even.

"Well I suppose but..." Hisako attempted to respond, only to trail off as she kept a careful eye on their surroundings. With the threat of war on the horizon she was jumpier than ever. She knew that this was a peaceful gathering but her training took over at times like these and left her feeling paranoid, more than usual anyways. "By the way... where are we going? This isn't the way back to town."

In response to her bodyguard's question Eiko gave her a cheeky grin. "I told you, this is a vacation. We're adults now and for adults no vacation is complete without a night of drinking." she responded, grabbing Hisako's hand and lacing their fingers so she couldn't run off as the bar came into sight.

Without letting go of Hisako's hand she took her seat next to the tall, scantily clad woman. She had to admit that the other woman's choice in swimsuit was bold, her own being a much more conservative black one piece.

"I'll have what she's having." she turned her attention to the barkeeper as she spoke, pointing over towards Aiya with her eyes. This was followed up by a glance over towards the pink haired woman now sitting next to her with their hands still intertwined.

"I..." Hisako stuttered, a conflicted expression on her face for just a moment. She did have concerns but Eiko was right... this was a vacation and it wasn't like she wanted to be a stick in the mud... Perhaps it was okay to let her guard down, even if just this once and maybe some drinks would help with that. "I'll have the same." she finally spoke, unable to help but let out a sigh as she deflated.

This 'living a normal life' thing is going to be harder than I thought if I have this trouble doing at least this much...

[HotelBravo]

Nakano was fresh from the sea. She had cleaned the salt from herself but her damp hair stuck to her body. Nakano was a blonde haired woman, the tell tale of a Yamanaka. She was a modest five feet three inches with a prominent bosom and a confident stride. She was combing her fingers through her hair, straightening and fixing it after having showered herself to clean the ocean spray from her own body. She was wearing a black bikini tanga and was carrying a rolled up towel beneath her arm and a canvas bag on her shoulder. Nakano eyed the little quaint bar on the beachside. It was in the perfect position to escape the beach and recover from a hearty swim. She trudged her way through the sandy beach side and found herself standing before the stand. A smile cracked her lips as she looked at the guests who had already gathered. In particular, the tall women here. ”The only problem here is… There isn’t enough Nakano to go around.” Nakano pouted to herself before reaching the stand. She would fix that. She formed a few handseals and a second Nakano came to life, a clone.

Nakano looked at her clone and examined her own features making sure that they were perfect. ”Remember what we discussed, I get the tall girl.” Nakano told her clone. The clone rolled her eyes. ”Actually, I was the one with dibs.” correctly clone Nakano. Nakano shook her head. ”You’d get popped and then where would we be?” The Real Nakano explained to the clone Nakano. ”Damn…You’re probably right. Alright then, go get’em.” Clone Nakano and Real Nakano slapped their hands together and gripped in camaraderie for a brief moment before the pair turned towards the beach side bar.

Nakano pulled up beside the giantess. She was not intimidated in the least. She leaned against the counter and shamelessly examined the giantess from top to bottom admiring her contours and curves. That bikini was also very much Nakano’s speed. She was attracted to dark and gothic things and spiders were among those. Spider web bikini? Genius idea. The only question is where did she find one big enough? ”Surprise me.” she said to the bar tender, without ever taking her eyes off the giantess. She slipped her canvas bag off her shoulder, setting it on the ground and her rolled up Towel was placed on the counter in front of her. ”Where do you do your shopping? The spider web design really goes good with that dark hair. I knew I should have stayed with dark hair; its always so sexy like silk.” Nakano would say to Aiya. Then clone Nakano hopped onto Real Nakano’s shoulders. ”I’m changing the arrangement.” She whispered to the real Nakano.

That Cheeky Bitch. Whatever, I’d have done the same thing, she thought to herself. She gripped her clones thighs, he was now sitting on her shoulders and was sitting just a bit taller than the seated giantess. ”So, where were we?” The clone asked, as if she was going to continue the conversation in place of the real Nakano. ”I was just complimenting her on her bikini and was asking where she does her shopping.” Nakano told the clone. The Clone looked down at the Nakano between her legs before looking over at the Giantess. ”She does have a point, it does get a little challenging to find something comfortable enough to holster the girls.” The Clone Nakano adjusted her top to emphasize.

---

Akiko was a petite woman with bright pink hair, a white and pink summer Yukata with a shamisen slung over her back. The sound of her geta clacking against the path could be heard as she made her way along the street. She had a lot on her mind with the disappearance of Kasuri, and thus far she had no leads on what had happened to the woman. The information about the girl’s mission was restricted since she hadn’t been of sufficient rank in Heart, but Kasuri had been marked as missing in action. That much was something that was obvious. There was a deep sense of regret. Regret that she hadn’t gone with with Kasuri. Regret that she had been distracted with her own problems that she didn’t see the danger. The woman was near and dear to her heart and it really stung a lot more than Akiko had thought it would to be separated from her. Their relationship was mostly just one of friends with benefits, but maybe it could have been more? Akiko had always expressed her desire to get married and have children and that was something Kasuri wouldn’t have been able to do for her. Look at me, Akiko thought to herself. The idea of bearing children is laughable with how small I am. A kid would rip me in two.

Akiko arrived at the bar thinking to get some alcohol to make herself feel better. She saw the many women already here at the counter and decided to take a seat to one side of Eiko and Hisako. She gave a polite head nod to great them, then turning to the bar tender said, ”Excuse me, I want to pay for both of their drinks, and also get me one of the same.” It seemed like a good night for sweet alcohol with Pineapple. A very tropical flavor. ”Nice to meet you both, I’m Akiko.” She introduced herself to Eiko and Hisako. ”You both look incredibly lovely tonight, I couldn’t help but overhear that you both were here on vacation? If you don’t mind me asking where are you both from? It’s always rather interesting to hear where people come from.” Akiko would hide her hurt feelings behind her drive to learn more of the world and its people. Her agenda was harmless, though it was a form of detective work. With no where clear to start in her search for Kasuri here seemed as good as anywhere else.

Another thing seemed to pop into Akikos mind as she sat here, she wondered if she would be able to figure out her own sexual orientation. She had only ever been with Kasuri, and that had been sweet and lovely, but really she had not felt any kind of feelings since that time. Maybe she should let herself open up so that she could discover the truth about herself in this instance. Then when she met Kasuri again she could be more honest with her.

[Izanagi]

Thus far Takeshi had been quite enjoying his vacation. It was not often he gave himself time to take a break from training and actually relax and enjoy himself. Certainly Nakano had helped open his eyes to the pleasures life had to offer and he expected to spend a large portion of the vacation together. At least in the evenings. This first day each had opted to explore the resorts separately, neither being particularly clingy to one another. His morning had been spent going for a light run along the beach and then spending a few hours in the wave pool where he caught up with some old friends.

As the day progressed into afternoon he played a few games of beach volleyball and would occassionally cool down in the ocean. And now as evening soon approached he made his way toward one of the beach side bars. The athletic teenager still wore his black and silver swim shorts and an indigo beach shirt, parted to show off his impressive abdominal muscles. His long dark brown hair had been allowed to come loose, parting to frame the green curse mark tattoo across his forehead before flowing mid-way down his back.

Striding toward the war he noticed a growing number of attractive women gathering and it nearly deterred him until he recognized his girlfriend among them. Of course as much as he was eager to spend time with her he didn't want to interupt her advances toward the other women. He would simply test the waters to see what kind of mood everyone was in. He was actually quite curious how it would all play out, espcially as he noticed Aiya towering over the others. Yet another friend he hadn't seen much over the last few years, only the occassional briefing shared in the Anbu enclave before each leaving on seperate missions. He had grown over 6 inches since they had last been on a squad, standing at a height of 5'11 now and yet she seemed even more imposing than before. He wondered if she was even taller than Haruka's true form now.

Moving to the end of the bar, opposite Nakano, the teenage Hyuuga ordered himself a Piña colada, having tried the pinnaple and cocunut drink earlier that day and found it quite enjoyable. He smirked and chuckled lightly at Nakano's antics, watching as her clone climbed over her and demanded Aiya's attention. "You're looking good Aiya. It's been a while. Cheers" he said, leaning forward past the two pink haired beauties as he raised a glass to his friend. It was good to see of the two of them getting along, as it would only be a matter of time before they worked with one another. He had overheard Akiko's question as he approached the bar and didn't want to appear rude so he would chime in as the others answered. "I'm from Konoha as well, as you might have guessed" he said chuckling. The white eyes of the Hyuuga clan were known throughout each of the major nations by now after all. "Hyuuga Takeshi" he offered his name and his hand in greeting to the young woman closest to him.

[Drak]

Gliding inches above the surface of the water, Akito could not think of a time that learning a new jutsu had ever been so fun. He had set aside the morning to train his newest elemental interest: Fuuton. After all, he was expected to have something to show for his vacation, and elemental jutsus were key to one of his long-term research projects. He told himself that he could spend the morning training and would have some fun later in the day.

As a first step towards his goal, Akito was practicing an introductory technique known as wind skating. The theory behind it was much the same as that of tree climbing or water walking: it involved focusing chakra in the teknetsu of the feet in order to move in a way not otherwise permitted by the laws of physics. However, unlike the attractive force emitted in tree climbing, or the expulsion of pure chakra into a medium that made water walking possible, wind walking involved a concentration of elemental chakra.

His first attempts were not especially graceful. They attracted the gaze of many a beachgoer, wondering what this grown man was doing: seemingly trying again and again to simply walk on the beach and falling over time after time. However, as a shinobi with his level of skill and chakra control, Akito progressed quickly. Soon, he was gliding short distances, then long ones, then going back and forth between the water and the sand. Moving like this, he sped across the beach.

Not only more fun than training on the Hyuuga compound, but infinitely more scenic as well.

Soon, he was interweaving other wind jutsus he had read about into his training: gathering up extra wind chakra in his feet as he skated through the air, and using it to launch himself into the air then catch himself with the wind skating and continue on his path. As the hours got later and Akito perfected his new techniques, the thought occurred to him that he might go for a drink. Launching himself into the air again, Akito could see a small beachside stand around which a small group of people was gathered.

When he came down, Akito slowed his pace until he gracefully touched his feet back onto the warm sand and walked along the beach. As he approached, Akito could see a few familiar faces. A young female Ibakuro whom he recognized but didn’t know personally stuck out from the crowd. So too did Nakano when she cloned herself and stood on her own shoulders to talk to the Ibakuro face to face. Seeing that made Akito break out into a loud chuckle.

Akiko – the woman he had met at the Sunflower Cove the other day – was also there. Also in that circle were two women whom Akito did not recognize at all. Something about them reminded him of Inokara, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Seems as good a place as any. And the company looks to be good. Nakano is a bit of a known quantity for better or for worse. Akiko will be nice to speak with again. The Ibakuro is at least a fellow Konoha nin, so we will have that to talk about.

As he got closer to the group, Akito saw another friendly face join them: that of his fellow half-Hyuuga cousin Takeshi. He was excited to spend some time with him out of the confines of their village.

Akito walked up to the stand. He was wearing a pair of black swim trunks with a white pattern on it. Anyone who chose to look especially closely would see that the pattern was in fact composed of characters, spelling out the text of an old poem. His long, black hair was tied back in a ponytail to keep it out of the way during flight. He quickly looked over a list of specials posted on a sandwich board near the entrance.

“Greetings,” he called out to the assembled people. “Takeshi, Akiko, Nakanos, Ibakuro.” He bowed slightly to each of them in turn as he passed them on the way to the bar. As he passed Takeshi, Akito gave him a clap on the shoulder. “Good to see you, cousin. Let me go get a drink.”

“Bartender, a glass of the rum punch, please,” he said, walking up to the bar. The bartender mixed together half a dozen fruit juices, laced it generously with rum, and garnished with a cherry and a slice of orange. Akito felt more than a little ridiculous with such a luridly-colored, highly decorated drink.

When in Aroma Country, do as the Aromatics do.

His drink in hand, Akito turned to face the group and leaned back against the bar. He took a sip of his drink. It was sweet, and clearly pretty strong. Nonetheless, it was an excellent refreshment after his earlier exertion. Looking around the group again, Akito's eyes settled on the pair of Nakanos and let out a small chuckle.

“Nakano, why are there two of you?” he asked, his expression somewhere between amused and bemused.

Jutsu TrainedShow

WC: 813/800

*Fuuton • Enhanced Launch
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
After doing the needed hand seals, the user gathers wind around their feet. Then, the user will use the wind to blast them from the ground, enabling them to leap into the air an extra 10 meters at [Control] speed. The Fuuton passive is not applied in this technique.

*Fuuton • Wind Skating
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
After performing the needed hand seals, the user is able to glide on air as if they were skating on ice. This allows them to move faster (+3 speed) but lowers their ability to translate force (-3 Strength). This doesn't allow them to fly, but rather to travel over things like land, water, and ice with greater ease. The user is only held several inches off of the ground. This Jutsu does not expire until the user’s chakra supply runs out or the user shuts it off. The fuuton passive is not applied in this technique.

[Tsedas]

The smell of sand and sea filled the air, the atmosphere downright jovial and care free. It was a stark contrast to the snow capped mountains and underground labyrinths of Iwagakure. Still, it wasn't something that someone would take for granted. A trip to the beach, a downright pleasurable journey to the sea and sun. At least that's how one woman was treating it. Striding out of the waves, a tall woman with a toned physique stepped out of the cooling waters and onto the warm sands. Her hands drifted up and pushed the wet hair from her dark features, crimson locks sweeping back as they clung to her neck and shoulders.

Vibrant yellow eyes scanned her surroundings, and while she could see a plethora of people, she saw many quickly avert their gaze to avoid being caught staring. Who could blame them for staring? Her body was practically on display as she walked up the sands, her swimsuit being fashion in the sling fashion as it covered what needed covering but left damn near nothing to the imagination. "Perhaps indulging in this piece of frivolity was a bit much, but it's not like I can wear this back in Iwa." She stated softly to herself as she walked up the beach, a sway to her hips as she approached what looked to be a bustling beachside bar. Her tongue instinctively flicked out and circled her lips, the thought of a drink quickly going to the top of her to-do list as she was feeling a bit parched.

As she stepped under the canopy that protected patrons from the sun, she walked past a few individuals making conversation before reaching the bar and leaning against it. To anyone who marked her approach, they'd see her athletic physique had two noticeable tattoos. One on the bottom of her left breast of a salamander, a viper, and a lizard forming a circle by biting each other's tails in an ouroboros like fashion. But upon her back lay the true eye candy. Curling around a pagoda in Ukiyo-e fashion was a large and artfully done salamander of massive size. The piece covered most of her back with only the top of the pagoda and salamander along with the full moon as a backdrop being covered by her red hair. "Excuse me, might I get some service?" She called out before her eyes wandered the patrons of the bar. Some seemed nice, others screamed foreign shinobi, and one woman was towering over them all, even Enkouten Hisone herself.... at least by a foot from what she could see. 'Seems I've met my match in the height department.' Hisone thought to herself as the barman approached.

While usually she was sporting a nasty case of resting bitch face, Hisone let her lips broaden into a smile at the man. "Hi, could I have Black Lotus cocktail?" She asked, confusing the bartender before rattling off some ingredients and how to prepare it. The barman gave a nod before writing down the recipe and departing to prepare her order. Glancing back over, she saw a man talking to two identical woman and it took her a moment to realize what she was seeing. "Some kind of clones and a Hyuuga... Huh. Brave man to want to take two at once." She muttered to herself before turning around to lean against the bar and look out at the glistening waters. She let a smile escape her lips while those dark eyelids drooped a little. She was at least having some fun on this little trip to the beach, but she had a bucket list of things she wanted to do here and she'd be damned if she only crossed off one or two things on this trip. She wanted to get it all done.

[TyDie]

By the time Aiya got her drink and turned to look around the bar, it seemed she hadn't been the only one craving a drink. From the beach, from the boardwalks, and from down the street, a few different faces new and old came to reside in the bar. To start, she was suddenly beset upon by a short, but cute, blonde haired woman and her clone. She hadn't been expecting frivolous use of ninjutsu, but when you had shinobi from all five villages meeting in a single location, the norms of chakra tend to go out the window. Well, that and the mutual understanding that any hostilities would be met with EXTREME force from the local constabularies. But the clone seemed harmless enough, and with a raised eyebrow and a somewhat nervous smirk Aiya responded to both of the Nakanos.

"Uhh, I got this here in Aroma Country actually." She said, looking down and absent mindedly grabbing at her chest while referencing the spider web bikini. "I ordinarily wear simple swimwear back home in Konoha, Sukumizus usually, but I figured I had worked hard on this body and it was a shame to keep it all to myself here, right?" Aiya held up an arm in front of the clone's face and tensed, the details of her biceps and triceps clearly visible underneath her tanned skin. She was just the right kind of muscular - Slender, but toned and defined. Rigid, but still soft when relaxed, with smooth supple skin that had recently been moisturized. Her abs, her legs, visible muscle definition at rest but soft to the touch. As she aged into womanhood, the physical work of her taijutsu prowess combined with her impressive clan traits like her height had really set the stage for a drop dead bombshell of a woman.

As the others approached, she saw before her a duo of women sitting next to her, one brunette and one with light pink hair. She wasn't familiar with any discerning marks on their swimsuits or on their person, but she hadn't met them before herself. They could've been from any village, same as this blonde next to her... Aiya wanted to be mad for a moment, knowing full well they could be from Iwa, but this festival simply wasn't the time. And if they could be merry and treat each other like humans regardless of their homelands, she could too. The situation got somewhat less tense when Takeshi approached the bar though, her old friend and comrade in arms within ANBU.

She took a drink from her cup, a margarita with salt, as the man cheered her, and set the cup on the bar behind her as she stood from her stool in front of Takeshi, clearly going for a hug. "It's been too long Takeshi! It's great to see you." Standing now, the girl's true height could be noted - she towered over most of the bar by at least a foot, two in some cases. If Takeshi accepted her hug, She'd maneuver ever so slightly avoid pressing her chest directly into his face, though she had a feeling he likely wouldn't have complained.

The young pink haired girl in the Yukata caught her eye as well, her outfit appearing far more traditional than the rest of those socializing. But all the same, she seemed sweet, her genuine interest in the homelands of everyone present painted her like a local, more than a shinobi. Perhaps someone from up and coming Heart Empire? "Heh, yeah, it seems most of us here are from Konoha." Aiya said with a nervous scratch of her head, taking a seat in her stool again so that her height was a touch more in line with the rest of the bar again. Still towering above most, but less so at least.

"Anyways, I'm Aiya. Yes, of the Ibakuro, as you noticed Hyuuga." She smirked at the older looking of the two Hyuuga, the newcomer who called Takeshi his cousin. The clan was quickly becoming more well known amongst not only Konoha shinobi, but the others as well, having sprang up as if from nowhere in the course of only a few years. Thanks in part to the aging of natural born Ibakuro and the village sanction allowing those without clan origins to shed their surnames and share in the Ibakuro's blood had lead to a monumental boom of population in comparison to most clans. There were dozens of spiderfolk at this point, and more on the way no doubt.

There was one other, a dark skinned woman with red hair and golden eyes, that caught Aiya's attention. In fact, she probably caught everyone's attention, wearing that sling around her body as if that was a normal amount of clothing, even for a beach. And people think my outfit is revealing... what a slut. The girl thought to herself, her eyes narrowing for just a moment. She couldn't be sure, but those traits seemed abnormal, which screamed clan to Aiya. But, she couldn't say who, or where she was from. She had a feeling she'd find out before long though, and that she'd definitely bump into this girl more than once before the festival was over.

But for now, she'd leave her to relax with her drink, unless she approached Aiya herself. Turning back to the Hyuuga as he asked the obvious question about Nakano, Aiya then smirked at the duo of Nakanos and crossed her arms over her chest, chuckling to herself. "I see I'm not the only one noticing the elephant in the room, eh?" As she rotated in her stool, Eiko and Akiko would likely get a chance to see the full extent of Aiya's fuuinjutsu tattoo, spanning most of her lower to mid back, a series of interweaving black lines that formed the basis for Aiya's entire fighting style. Any shinobi worth their salt would recognize it was a seal, but only one who understood the patterns and lines would realize it was a storage technique that held the girl's arsenal of weaponry.

"You gonna explain the tag team thing you've got going on here hun? Nakano, was it? It's cute, I'll give you that. I don't think I could do it either, might have to work on that sometime... two of me would definitely be better than one, hah." The girl let her thoughts drift along on what having a clone of her might be like. Two giantess spidery women with an arsenal of weapons between them? It didn't seem like a bad skill to have under her belt, and not just for her shinobi life. "If it's to top my height though, I don't think you've got it Nakano. I'm over seven feet now." She said with a wink, tilting her head back over to her drink to take another sip from her beverage.

[Kabu]

Eiko simply smiled as more people gathered around the bar, men and women alike. In her youth she had been painfully shy and awkward but nowadays she came to enjoy these kinds of occasions. Much unlike Hisako whom was getting more and more tense by the moment, her instincts telling her to just take Eiko and leave. Of course she knew she was being paranoid but she couldn't help it, years of conditioning took center stage at times like this. It didn't help matters that she could very clearly see a Fuuinjutsu pattern on Aiya's back, knowing full well that the girl could draw a weapon on them at any given moment.

...But with that said she did calm down just a little as Eiko squeezed her hand, a reassuring smile on her face.

"I am Nakajima Eiko and my friend here is Yukana Hisako. We are from Kumogakure. It's a pleasure to meet you, all of you." Eiko was speaking to the crowd as she introduced herself in response to Akiko's question, even taking it upon herself to introduce Hisako as well. She did wish that her friend would take the initiative on her own but she wasn't so cruel as to make her more uncomfortable.

In any case the pair's drinks soon arrived and she took a sip of her own, letting out a contented sigh as she did. It had been some time since she had had a drink and this was a perfect way to ease back into it.

"So, what brings everyone here to the bar at this time?"

[HotelBravo]

Nakano
"Uhh, I got this here in Aroma Country actually." Aiya responded to Nakanos question. "I ordinarily wear simple swimwear back home in Konoha, Sukumizus usually, but I figured I had worked hard on this body and it was a shame to keep it all to myself here, right?" She held up an arm and tensed her biceps as if to emphasis the point. The Clone admired the bicep very bluntly. Nakano was a little less interested in Aiya having learned that she was a fellow Konoha shinobi.

It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that both Takeshi and Akito were attracted to the beachside bar at the same time. They seemed to be together whenever Nakano ran into Akito specifically. How very odd, but he wasn’t what she was here for. Akito greeted Nakano, and both Nakano’s responded at the same time making a harmony with their voices. ”Hi Akito.” They answered back. It seemed Takeshi was trying to stay out of her way, he seemed to have an instinctive knowledge about what she was trying to do, and that was build rapport. Network. It was only unfortunate that she kept running into Konoha shinobi. At an event like this, it was an excellent time to meet Enemy shinobi under peaceful circumstances to build rapport.

Aiya greeted Takeshi and responded to Akiko.

“Nakano, why are there two of you?” Akito asked, and Aiya responded seemed to agree with the sentiment, both of them tag teaming against the Nakanos in their own way. "You gonna explain the tag team thing you've got going on here hun? Nakano, was it? It's cute, I'll give you that. I don't think I could do it either, might have to work on that sometime... two of me would definitely be better than one, hah." Aiya stated.

”Wouldn’t you like to know weather girl?” Nakano from between her own clones legs answered to Aiya, looking up at her as Aiya stood up to her full height, being taller even than the Nakano sitting on the other Nakano’s shoulders. ”How are the clouds up there by the way?” She asked, her tone dripping with playfulness. ”I do like the kind of girl that can just fucking kill me. By the by, are you Bi, or at least interested in women and single by any chance?” Nakano asked Aiya. Nakano then helped her own clone off of her shoulders. ”I got things handled here babe, why don’t you go entertain yourself with that lonely giantess over there?” Nakano patted her own clones bottom. The clone rolled her eyes and made her way over to Hisone.

”Black Lotus hmm? That drink sounds rather enticing. Excuse me, can I get the same drink please? You already received instructions from her to make it right?” The Nakano clone asked Hisone, turning to the bartender to make an order. ”Your skin looks really lovely, you wouldn’t mind sharing your secrets for such soft skin would you?” It didn’t escape Nakano’s notice that this woman was an Enkouten and was thus from Iwa. This was just the kind of opportunity that she had been looking for.

---

Akiko.
One after the other people were introduced to Akiko and it did seem that most of them were in fact from Konoha. Akiko did her best to ignore the Nakanos and hold a pleasant conversation with the others who had arrived, including Akito and a man who very much seemed like his cousin, Takeshi. Nakajim-san. Yukana-san. Hyuuga-sama, and Hyuuga-sama. It is a pleasure to meet you all. Akiko bowed to each as she addressed them in a polite manner. Akiko put the payment on the counter for Hisako and Eiko’s drinks and also ordered one for herself. ”If you don’t mind my asking Nakajima-san, how has your vacation been so far? Pleasant I hope? Why sorts of things have you done so far to relax? I, personally have find myself a little tense with so many shinobi around, not that I’m complaining - they are just very strong, and I’m just an Oiran and entertainer trying to make her way in the world.” Akiko didn’t mention the part that she was also looking for her friend Kasuri. Finding clues from these shinobi wouldn’t be an easy thing. She figured that she would just let the clues happen naturally through the course of a relationship. Asking straight forward and interrogating shinobi was a good way to get herself killed.

”I really want to learn about the music and culture in each of your villages. Do you happen to know any minstrels I might be able to call upon should I find myself in either Konoha or Kumogakure?” Akiko addressed both the Hyuuga men and the lovely Kumogakure woman and her bodyguard. Akiko slung her shamisen into her lap and began to strum it gently playing an elegant tune, to accompany the atmosphere. She happened to glance over at Nakano again and briefly thought about strangling that slut for ruining what otherwise might be a very peaceful night. Where was the grace and poise? She was very annoying, but Akiko hadn’t missed that Akito had greeted her, meaning that he knew her so that meant she was likely from Konoha as well. She owed Akito at least that much; she wouldn’t try to browbeat Nakano if only to keep the peace so that she would hopefully be allowed into Konoha someday, and perhaps she would be able to find a clue as to what happened to Kasuri.

[Izanagi]

Takeshi turned to the sound of his cousin. Akito again. The man was quickly becoming one of his closest friends, almost an older brother figure. It didn’t heal the pain of losing Yozei, but it was something. “Likewise” the young man responded. Takeshi raised his glass once Akito had his drink, and then took a deep drink of the refreshing beverage. The teenager couldn’t help but notice the favorable ratio of women to men gathering around the bar and he shared a certain look with Akito. Previously the man had the misfortune of being an awkward third wheel at Takeshi and Nakano’s first date. Perhaps now, Takeshi could help his cousin find a woman of his own. As he was sharing this look, turned halfway on his seat at the edge of the bar, Takeshi noticed the tall red-headed woman approaching. He wasn’t sure Akito’s type, but he knew both his brother and father would be rolling in their graves if such a woman didn’t go home with one of them. However, unlike his father, Takeshi valued monogamy, even if his chosen partner didn’t.

Before he could greet the newcomer however Takeshi found himself beset upon by his good friend Aiya. He turned his head respectfully as her chest nearly enveloped his face. “Good to see you too” he muttered, staring awkwardly back at Akito and the others. As she moved back to her seat he exhaled and took another deep drink. He had never been particularly attracted to Aiya before, but since being with Nakano his sex drive had been nearly insatiable in order to even remotely keep up with her. All of a sudden he was noticing Aiya in a way that he had never expected, though he wouldn’t ever consider acting on anything. It was irresponsible enough to fraternize with one of his junior operatives let alone two. As a captain he had a certain level of professionalism he had to maintain, at least on duty.

He had to remind himself that his personal life was meant to be wholly separate and the less qualified he seemed the better to throw off those who might suspect his true strength and status. Takeshi cleared his throat, regaining some composure even as he felt a sudden wave of the alcohol’s effects. He hadn’t realized that he had nearly finished his drink already. Some kind of clones and a Hyuuga... Huh. Brave man to want to take two at once. Reaching back he placed the glass back on the bar. “Who do you think taught her that move?” he smirked, interjecting. Then, he would order a second drink, switching to the new drink the red-headed woman had requested. He was ever curious to try new things. Giving her a once over he wondered if she might be a Hizashi, he had encountered their clan several times during his visits to Sunagakure over the years. “You’re not a Hizashi, are you?” he wondered, justifying his discerning gaze.

It was then that a certain name piqued his attention. Nakajima. Shifting in his seat he turned toward the brunette. He hadn’t taken much notice of her before, she seemed just like any other young woman and wore a modest bathing suit. “Nakajima? As in Hayate?” he verified. He knew the Raikage but he had never spoken to the man about his children before. Thinking back he recalled his father mention that Hayate had some daughters. Something about wanting to get together with Hayate, Kiyori and all their kids for some intervillage bonding. But it had never quite worked out. The name Eiko stood out and suddenly he was sure, she was his most prominent daughter even before she verified it. “Our dad’s were friends. I’m Takeo’s son” he introduced, reaching past the pink-haired bodyguard as he attempted to shake the woman’s hand. “It’s truly a pleasure to meet you” he said, taking on a formal tone to match her own.

He sat back again and sipped his new drink slowly, nodding his approval at the bold flavors. His attention shifted to Akiko as Nakano made her way closer to him and the red-haired woman. His formal training among the Hyuuga seemed to be drawn out more in the presence of Eiko and Akiko and he found himself sitting straighter while conversing with them. He smiled only slightly, catching a glance with Nakano to assure her that there was no tension between them. He simply didn’t want to get in her way and interfere with her mingling. There were many layers to Nakano and he believed that few understood her as well as he did.

Takeshi leaned forward, seeming genuinely interested in listening to Akiko talk. All the while he was studying her, attempting to discern exactly which country she hailed from. She claimed to not be a shinobi and he was inclined to believe her. Given her attire and her complexion, he wagered she was likely from New Tea or perhaps even Steam. She wasn’t tanned enough to be a local of Aroma, but she seemed to carry a lot of similarities to the natives of Old Tea country which had fragmented into Aroma, Steam, and New Tea. “Let me guess…you’re from Xincha?” he wagered, attempting to repeat the pronunciation Suzuko had taught him when he had visited new Tea’s capital city. “I’ve been to both Kumo and New Tea recently and I seem to have missed you both” he said, shaking his head in disbelief as he leaned back against the bar. Such was the consequence of spending most of his time training. There was so much more to life. The young man made a mental note to spend more time enjoying the small moments and connecting with others. “Well, to Aroma country, for bringing us all together” he said, raising his glass and taking a deep drink. And as long as no Kiri shinobi joined them he would remain grateful of his company. Though Iwagakure was little better, he could stifle his hate enough to gain intel as needed. Keeping his back to one of the Nakano's and Hisone he listened to them interact while seeming to focus on Akiko. Unfortunately, he had little to offer in the way of offering minstrels to recommend. He simply didn’t have the time for such things, but he knew Fire country was well-regarded for their music and theater. “That’s fascinating. I’ll have to recommend you next time Konoha puts together a festival” he decided as he listened to her play.

[Drak]

“Aiya. Pleased to meet you,” Akito replied to Aiya’s introduction. “My name is Akito.”

He noticed her smirk at him, and her glare as her eyes shifted to another woman at the bar. I wonder what that was abou- Akito followed Aiya’s judging gaze and caught sight of Hisone. His eyebrows half raised almost out of reflex before he caught himself and calmed his expression. Ah. I see. As Hisone turned to order her drink, Akito’s eyes were drawn to her back. More accurately, he was drawn to the tattoo thereon. He took a second to admire the artistry (and only the artistry, of course) of the salamander winding its way around a pagoda. His study of Hisone’s tattoo was interrupted by some commotion behind him that immediately followed his greeting Takeshi. Looking over his shoulder, Akito saw Aiya pulling him into a more than slightly compromising hug. Stifling a laugh, Akito made his way to the bar.

Akito was taking a sip of his drink when Hisone hit him with “Some kind of clones and a Hyuuga... Huh. Brave man to want to take two at once”. This time, the drink did the work of stifling his laugh. Setting the glass back down on the bar, Akito turned to face Hisone.

“As t-” no that’s an inside thought, not an outside one.

“I think you may have us confused,” Akito changed his course with a subtle grin. “Takeshi is the one who is liable to take those particular mirror images home. I am Akito. We Hyuuga tend to look much alike, so the confusion is understandable.”

As if on queue Takeshi walked by bragging about teaching Nakano the shadow clone technique. He seemed like he wanted to join their conversation, but was soon called off by a question from the taller of the pair of women further down the bar. Soon after Takeshi, Nakano – or rather her clone – came up and interjected, asking about Hisone’s skincare routine.

Is that what’s happening here? Nakano and Takeshi certainly have an odd arrangement, whatever its rules and strictures are. I thought that the both of them being here would be cover enough for me, but it appears not. Do I really want to enter into this competition with Nakano?

Akito surveyed the bar. The real Nakano and Aiya were talking to his side. Further down the bar, another crowd was gathered: Takeshi, the pair of women holding hands – Eiko and Hisako apparently, and of course the lovely Akiko. Akiko, whom he could see glaring at Nakano as she asked about the arts in Konoha. Akito decided to keep mention of the Southern Konoha Teahouse in his back pocket. It would do well as a way to reignite a conversation with her. He could feel himself slipping out of his relaxed state of mind and into his strategic one.

I can always shift around to my advantage, but for now I think I will maintain my position. The pieces are arrayed as they are. All I can do now is to play the board as it is.

“I could not help but notice the tattoo on your back,” Akito said, coming out of his own mind and back into the conversation. “Ukiyo-e style, if I am not mistaken. It is beautifully done. I do not recognize the piece or the precise artist. Is it a custom commission?”

[Tsedas]

Hisone watched the waves for a bit, glancing off to the side at the gathered crowd and as the taller woman stood up, she saw tattoo upon her lower back and chuckled softly. 'Tramp stamp fuuin? Heh, functionally and slutty if you throw the figure and bikini all together I suppose.' Hisone sipped at her drink and was about to go back to watching the waves while her ears keep tabs on the conversation. It wasn't out of true interest but shinobi habits for eaves dropping are hard to shake sometimes. The bold and brazen question from the blonde duo to the tall woman about being Bi almost made her snort in amusement but she managed to keep herself down to just a smile. Her normal Resting bitch face seeming to take a vacation of it's own.

A voice caught her ears as it was a little closer and seemed more directed at her. Her golden eyes shifted from an endless sea of blue to wander over the face of the Hyuuga she'd saw a moment ago. They mentioned someone called Takeshi and something about telling Hyuuga's apart and she glanced at the other man present. She caught his subtle grin and gave him a smile in return at his comment of Takeshi being more liable to take the clone duo home. "And who are you more liable to take back to your room tonight, Akito?" She asked in a sultry done before chuckle and holding out a hand as she kept reclining with her back against the bar. "I'm Hisone, I can't tell if it's a pleasure to meet you yet or not." She teased in a less sultry but clearly more light hearted tone.

It was after this introduction that the one named Takeshi clarified he taught the clone duo the technique before he seemed to throw a question out there that made her shake her head. "That'd be a negative, I'm not a Hizashi. I'm an Enkouten from Iwa. Part-time shinobi and overworked forge smith." She clarified before one of the blonde clone duo appeared beside her and ordered a Black Lotus. It was then that Hisone noted Takeshi ordered the same thing and gave an amused hum.

When the blonde directed the red head's attention to her skin regiment, the lava slinger looked down while examining her scantily clad form. "Why thank you! I keep a simple regiment in the morning to help freshen my skin up with natural oils and creams mostly. Since I spend most of my day sweating buckets, it really opens the pores and a nice bath afterward helps clean out the dirt and grim. Then I apply a second regiment of the oils and cream in the evening and let them take hold for a hold in the evenings as I handle home life things before bed. While I'm sure not everyone has a forge at home, how you choose to get all hot and sweaty is entirely up to you." She said before playfully wiggling her eyebrows at the blonde. "I don't think I caught you name before, I'm Hisone."

Akito commented on her tattoo before Hisone pushed off the bar and set her drink down. "Yes! I thought the style was perfect for the tattoo so I had a friend tweak and draw it up so the tattoo artist could have a refined product to etch into me." Turning around, Hisone raised both of her hands and pulled her hair out of the way while presenting her almost naked looking backside to Akito and Nakano. With her hair out of the way, the tattoo was a gorgeous scene of a multi-story pagoda rising up amidst cherry blossom trees under a full moon. The wind was clearly blowing in the piece as stray blossoms swirled around the base of the piece with pink petals almost cascading around her lower back and even atop the upper portion of her buttocks like freckles. On the opposite end, the black canvas that held the stars engulfed a full moon with a feint shadow of a rabbit pounding mochi subtly drawn in. The stars themselves twinkled about her upper back and shoulders, even leaving the edges of the piece to become twinkling freckles that crept across the backs of her shoulders. Then there was the major piece of it all. Coiled up and around the pagoda, as if climbing it in a round-about fashion was a large purple salamander with pink accents and highlights from the moonlight. The higher up the salamander one looked, the more the moonlight faded it from purples to shades of red and pink. The head of the creature near the moon seemed fascinated by the rabbit and it's nose was the same shade of pink as the cherry blossoms swirling below it.

After she let them take a long look or gander, hell she didn't even care if they touched it, Hisone would turn and shift a hand to cup her left breast. She'd lift it enough to show off the tattoo there as well. "This is another custom piece, something for my love of reptiles and amphibians." Along the bottom of her left breast is a circular tattoo made up of a salamander, a viper, and a lizard with each of these animals biting the tail of the one ahead of it as a take on the ouroboros tattoo. The style was simplified and didn't hold the same artistic flare as the one on her back but it held a charm of it's own in the simplicity of it.